Tehran: The United States is angry because it has failed to force Iran to surrender, Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah said on Wednesday, noting that Tehran's resistance had prompted Washington to shift from threats to calls for negotiations. Speaking at a provincial administrative council meeting in northern Gilan province during Government Week, Ghaempanah said Iran had faced US sanctions and economic pressure for 47 years, with their intensity varying over time.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Ghaempanah remarked, "Today, America is angry because it has not been able to force us to surrender." He further explained that the US rhetoric had shifted from threats to destroy Iran and return it to the Stone Age to calls for dialogue and an understanding after Washington saw the resilience of the Iranian people, the capabilities of its armed forces under the leadership of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei.

Ghaempanah highlighted an agreement signed by President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump with the mediation of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as 'a source of pride for Iran,' emphasizing the importance of evaluating both Iran's and the United States' commitments. He underscored that war is not an objective but a means of securing the rights of the Iranian people, stating, "We want an independent, free and prosperous country that can stand on its own feet. We want a strong Iran."

He asserted that Iran would not back down in the face of its adversaries but emphasized the importance of avoiding war when objectives could be achieved through other means. Ghaempanah concluded, "Talking about an understanding is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength," and highlighted that military power and diplomacy complement each other.